Manufacture of absorbent tampons



Dec. 14, 1948. GANZ 2,455,925

' MANUFACTURE OF ABSORBENT TAMPONS Filed Aug. 27, 1942 2 She'ets-Sheet 1Dec. 14,1948. j H.GAI\ IZ 2,455,925

MANUFACTURE OF ABSORBENT TAMPONS Filed Aug. 27, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR. HENR Y GA NZ.

Patented Dec. 14, 1948 UNITED MANUFACTURE OF ABSoRBENT'rAMPONs HenryGanz, Ridgefield Park, J assi gnor to The Personal Products Corporation,New

Brunswick, N. J., a corporationfof New Jersey Original application July251, 1940, Serial No. 347,087. Divided and this application August 27,1942, Serial No. 456,369 r l This invention relates to themanufacture'of absorbent tampons and more particularly to tampons ofthis character which are especially adapted for use as vaginal tampons,and is a division of my co-pending application Serial Number 347,087,filed July 24, 1940.

It is becoming more and more the custom to use vaginal tampons forfeminine hygiene, although the manufacture of such tampons involvesseveral problems.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a method of manufacturinga tampon which re.- sults in an improved tampon especially suited foruse as a vaginal tampon.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in theart from the following detailed description, particularly when read inconnection with the drawings in which: 7

Figure 1 is a plan View of the cord tying apparatus illustrating a webof cotton in position thereon prior to drawing a cord therearound.

Figure 2 is a perspective illustrating a Web of cotton formed to sizeand with the withdrawal cord attached, placed in the guiding portion ofthe die preparatory to the preforming operation.

Figure 3 is a verticalsection through the forming die illustrating theweb in position prior to being preformed.

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the center of the forming dieillustrating the Web tucked into the die in the first or preformingstage.

Figure 5 is a similar vertical section through the forming clieillustrating the second or final forming or compression stage.

Figure 6 is a similar vertical section through the die and illustratingdischarge of the completed tampon.

Figure '7 is a vertical section through the center of a tampon containerand applicator illustrating a tampon therein.

In accordance with this invention, a web of cotton l is first formed ofa size considerably larger than the finished tampon, that is, a web isformed approximately two inches wide by six inches long andthree-quarters of an inch thick, the size depending of course first uponthe weight of cotton desired to be incorporated in the tampon and secondupon the finished size of the tampon. This web may be formed from asingle thickness of cotton or a folded web or a plied web with anysuitable number of plies.

In the illustrated embodiment of this invention (Fig. 1) the next stepis the attachment of the withdrawal cord 2 to the formed web of coteton, although it will be obvious that this cord "as it passes aroundthetube.

may be attached to the cotton. web at a subse} quent time in theformation ofthe tampon. As illustrated, the cord is measured, cut, andattached by what is termed a string cutting unit mounted .upon a table3, one end of which supports the"cord or string holder 4, and the otherend of which carries a block or pedestal 5 over which the withdrawalcord 2 is measured and upon which the'cotton web for the tampon is p a ep I In using the above unit, the operator threads the string or cord 2from the string holder 4 under a guide and friction clamp 1, pastacutting-elf knife 9," across the block 5, around a suction tube l3,projecting through the block 5 adjacent one edge thereof, and back to apoint adjacent the knife.v In so doing a loopof cord is formed and theproper length of cord is measured with the two ends approximately equal.After the cord has been looped and measured in this manner, the operatoractuates the cutting knife 9 by foot tread l5 or any other suitabledevice to sever the measured length of cord.

The operator then places the cotton web I uponthe block 5 over the cordand grasps both ends of the cord, passes them over the web, and

inserts them into the suction tube, thus passing the ends through theloop formed by the cord The ends of the cord are drawn down through thetubeby suction, thus forming a loose slip knot. The operator then liftsthe cotton web from the table with one hand, thusdisen'gaging the loopedend of the cord from the suction tube and grasps the ends of the cordwith the other hand and draws the knot tight about the'cotton web. Itwill be observed that when the'cord is cut, a loose end remains betweenthe guide or clamp 1 and the cuttingblade 9,- which"end may be graspedby the operator to withdraw and measure the succeeding length of cord.

The web of ,cotton with'the withdrawal cord about its center, which cordmaterially reduces the width of 'the'web where it is fastened, is thenplaced over a die 2| with the cord 2 depending thereinto for the firstor preforming stage in the formation of the tampon.

Die 2i' is a tubular die, having a bore 23- of the exact diameter of thefinished tampon and being tapered outwardly at its upper end as at 25 tofacilitate 'entryof the cotton web into the bore. For'further guidingand positioning the web, the upper end of the die is provided withenlarged collar 21, formed with a groove 29 across its upper faceofsomewhat less'width than the width of the cotton web, whereby the cottonweb from which the tampon is formed is held in position in said slot inpreparation for the first or preforming stage in the formation of thetampon.

Following positioning of the Web I over the die 2|, a preformin'gplunger 31 off considerably smaller "diameter tharrthe bore 23 of thedie is forced into the die to fold and tuck the cotton into the die, andpreform the web into a U-shaped formation and onlyslightlycompressing-thecotton as shown in Fig. 4. In so doing, the twolegs of the now U-shaped cotton web are' formedgen orally into twocomplementary halfsectionsof a hollow cylinder. the tampon, plunger 3|is withdrawn preparatory to the final compression.

Following this preforming" of 5 byforoes resulting from longitudinalcompression,

The web is given its final compression and formation by a second topplunger 33 (Fig. 5) of the same diameter as the bore of the dieand'preferably having a stem orpilot 35 of much smaller diameter thanthe plunger 33': The pilot'end 35 is'resiliently oryieldab'lymounted'within a counter bore in the-plunger'33 andisspring'urged' outwardly by a spring 3T so as to be partiallyretractable after" a certain pressure against the pilot'end is reached.

Cooperating with theplun'ger 33 is a lower piston or" plunger 41 (Fig?5) of approximately the diameter of the'bore of the die 21 whichlo-werplunger is inserted into the bottom of. the die 2i prior to descent'of'plunger 33'. In it's. preferred form'the upperend of plunger 4| isrounded so asto imparta rounded lower end to the finished tampon.Likewise the lower end of the larger portion of the final compressionplunger 33 is concavedso' as to impart a rounded upper end to the tamponwhichfacilitates insertion thereof.

After the'lower plunger M has been inserted in position by any suitablemeans, the compressing plunger 33"is lowered by any suitablemeans togive. the final compression and formto the tampon. As plunger 33descends, the smaller or pilot end 35 thereof enters theopening formedby. the first plunger 3! and serves two functions.

First the pilot end 35- limits and controls the gathering-or creasing ofthe cotton as the plunger descends and compresses the web, and insures'the formation of only relatively small. irregular tucks or creasesinthe Walls of the tampon, as the two half sections of the. hollowcylinder: are compressed, rather than the formation of regular anddeepconvolutionsor pleats; These small tucks not only cause an even,rapid, and sub stantially'v simultaneous expansion of the tampon whenitis wetted, but prevent the formation, of any deep regular folds orpleats which if formed might tendto' permit leakage or seepage ofmoisture along the walls of the tampon when in use. Second the pilot endinsures a permanent opening or orifice 43 in the forward or? insertionend of-the finished tampon, whichlopening provides additional surfaceexposed to fluids when: the tampon is in use. This alsoinsures animme-diate expansion of the tampon as: soonasitbecomes wetted, which immediateexpansion pre vents leakage or seepage of fluids-past the tampon.

After thetampon has been given its final form, that is, after plunger'33hasbeen lowered, both plungers 33 and M are removed. and-the com pletedtampon 45 is ejected from the die by a thirdplunger 41" (Fig. 6)-havinga diameter ap proximately that of the bore of the die.- This final formof a diameter approximately that of the bore ofithe die isretainedbythetampon',

it is sufficiently flexible and soft so as not to cause any discomfortto the user and to permit of rapid and immediate absorption andexpansion upon becoming wet. The tampon Will expand in all directionsbut mainly in the direction of its length due to the fact that thegreatest compression was in this direction.

If desired, the finished tampon 45 may be placed inan applicator orcontainencompr ising atube" 51" of' proper diameter to snug-1y receivethefafinpon and" an ejecting plunger 53 for discharging-thetampon fromthe container appli- 'cator; 1

It will be apparent to those skilled in-the art thatfor purposes of thisapplicatlonthere-has been disclosed only the essential elements for nianufa'oturingthe tampon in accordance with this invention. No attempthas been made to describeany operating mechanisms; such as mean'sforoperating the plungers in proper order and sequence, or for conveyingthe cotton web before and after attaching the cord to the variousstations"in an automatic apparatus for forming the tampon because thesefeatures broadly are well withinthe scope of ability of a skilledmechanic.

It will also be obvious to those skilled in the artthat minor'changesmay be made in details of construction and the sequence of operationswithout departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as definedin the claims appended hereto. For example, it is obvious that'theWithdrawal cordmaybe applied to the tampon before its formation, asshown in the drawings, or it may be forced through the tampon duringanystage subsequent to formation of the tampon from the web of cotton.

Itwill also be obvious that any absorbent, fibrous material may be usedin place of cotton, although the latter has certain advantages in thatitdoesnot' have a tendency to mat upon wetting, as do certain otherfibrous materials, and. it does not have the tendency to slough asdocertain other fibrous materials. Furthermore, it does have thecharacteristic of swelling upon becomir'igwetted; Whichcharacteristicisnot present in-certa'in other fibrous materials.

I claim:

1. The method of making a tampon which comprisesthe steps of forming aweb of absorbent fibrous material" of predetermined contour and sizegreater than the sibe of the "shed tampon, s'i-nnfl-ta'neou'sly'comessingthe web of'fibrous material into a tit; tly compacted cylindricaltamporihavin'g an opening of relatively small diameter and appreciabledepth in one end and maintaining s'aicli opening during compression tolimitthe foldingof the fibrous Web, a'snit' is being compacted, to smallfoldsan'd pleats substantially less thanrthe diameter of the tampon.

The-method of making a tampon which-comprises' the'steps of forming aweb of absorbent fibrousi material-pf predetermined contour and sizegreater than the size of the finished tampon, compressing the fibrousweb'into a loosely compacted cylinder hollow at one end portion, thenfurther compressing the loosely compacted cylinder into a tightlycompacted cylindrical tampon while maintaining said hollow end portionto thereby simultaneously limit the folding of the fibrous material, asit is being further compacted, to small folds and pleats substantiallyless than the diameter of said tightly compacted tampon.

3. The method of making a tampon which comprises the steps of forming aweb of absorbent fibrous material of predetermined contour and sizegreater than the size of the finished tampon, longitudinally compressingthe fibrous web into a loosely compacted cylinder hollow at one endportion and then further compressing the loosely compacted fibrouscylinder into a tightly compacted cylindrical tampon while maintainingsaid hollow end portion to thereby simultaneously limit the folding 'ofthe fibrous material, as it is being further compacted, to small foldsand pleats substantially less than the diameter of said tightlycompacted tampon.

4. The method of making a tampon which comprises the steps of folding aweb of absorbent fibrous material of predetermined contour and HENRYGANZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 706,778 Bond Aug. 12, 19021,607,389 Claus Nov, 16, 1926 1,679,408 Davis et a1. Aug. 7, 19282,058,275 Voss Oct. 20, 1936 2,092,427 Ross Sept. 7, 1937 2,134,930Reynolds Nov. 1, 1938 2,263,909 Webb Nov. 25, 1941 2,286,817 Knight June16, 1942 2,330,257 Bailey Sept. 28, 1943

